A woman revealed the bizarre email she received from an estate agent while looking for a flat – as she compared the London rental market to the ‘Hunger Games’.
Taking to TikTok, Harriet shared the message a friend got after doing viewings in the capital, which included a series of baffling ‘tips’ on how to get the landlord to accept an offer – such as paying a year’s worth of fees upfront or pledging to increase the price each year.
She hit out at the ‘out of control’ demands being placed on tenants, in a clip that has now racked up more than 288,000 views.
The letter also stated they would need a ‘bio’ about each of the housemates and encouraged offering ‘above the asking price’.
‘Do you think I would be viewing a flat at this price if I could afford a flat over,’ she quipped in the video.
‘Anyway, moving along, “long contract length”. Fine. Okay, whatever. Both things actually aren’t really going to matter once the renters’ right bill comes in.’
Harriet was then appalled by the third piece of advice, which was to ‘stick to the moving date or sooner’.
‘Right. So, do you want me to stick to the moving date, or do you want an earlier one?’ she questioned.
Harriet, from London, claimed estate agents are ‘out of control’ as she compares the London rental market to the ‘Hunger Games’
‘Because if you wanted an earlier moving date, why didn’t you just put an earlier moving date? I don’t really understand this.’
She continued: ‘This one really got me paying up front from three to six to 12 months if possible. Oh, yes, sorry. Let me just get this £27,000 that sitting in my bank account and give it to you up front for a rental.
‘Why didn’t I think of that sooner? Oh, my goodness. I’m so glad you gave me these tips and tricks because now, I just feel like I’m going to get every flat I’ve ever wanted. F***ing idiots.
The fifth was to ‘offer a rent increase each year if possible’.
‘Again, where is this money coming from?’ Harriet questioned. ‘Rent increase, absolutely fine,’ she added. ‘I’m not going to offer that. Why the f*** would I offer a rent increase? Landlords grab it from us already. I don’t need to be offering that sh**.’
She continued: ‘These tips were hilarious on their own, but let’s carry on. Lastly, “if your offer would be accepted, we will contact you first to give you the good news and then take the holding deposit, which is equivalent to first week’s rent”.
‘First week’s rent. Fine. Standard. You’re ready for the Ending.’
The email concluded: ‘Thanks and good luck.’
Taking to her TikTok @harriet.d.h , the woman said we have to ‘do something to stop estate agents’ as they are absolutely ‘out of control’
‘Is this The Hunger Games?’ Harriet asked, referencing the dystopian fantasy novel series which sees poor people forced to kill each other in an arena for the wealthy to be entertained.
‘I mean; to be honest, the rental market does feel quite like The Hunger Games, but this whole thing really made me laugh.
‘And I just thought, this person has typed out or copied and pasted or got this email from somewhere and thought, these renters are going to love all of this.
‘These tips and tricks are going to be exceptional. They’re going to take all of them on board. It’s just really made me laugh. God bless estate agents and the rental market in London.’
Many rushed to the comments suggesting the ‘tips’ were ‘appalling’, with some saying it is ‘gangster behaviour’.
One person wrote: ‘Who in their right SANE mind would OFFER a rent increase?!?!???’
‘Estate agents are responsible for all the problems with house prices, price gauging, pitching people against each other,’ another added. ‘It’s all gangster behaviour and seems unregulated.’
A third penned: ‘Literally if I had 27k I’d get a mortgage.’
Many rushed to the comments suggesting the ‘tips’ were ‘appalling’, with some saying it is ‘gangster behaviour’
Elsewhere someone joked: ‘They left off point 7 which is actually to kneel at a landlords’ feet to kiss them, whilst throwing around £50 notes (which you may not keep).’
Meanwhile some estate agents took to the comments to try and explain some of the ‘tips’.
‘It’s obviously not the agents, it’s the rental market,’ one defended. ‘Agents are only the messengers, if landlords weren’t selling up there wouldn’t be this level of demand.’
Another suggested: ‘As an estate agent most of the time we are actually instructed by our clients on what to say, sometimes we don’t always agree but we must act on the clients’ instructions!
‘In my opinion I think this email is managing the viewers expectations and making sure that no one’s time is wasted on both parties’ side. Just remember it’s not always the agent’s fault!’
‘In defence of the estate agent here, they’re actually doing what many renters wish agents did: giving fair warning about existing interest before a viewing,’ another advised.
‘It might not be what you want to hear, but at least you know the situation upfront.
‘Agents often get backlash when people view a flat and are later told their offer was too low in a competitive market. This heads that off.
‘Yes, the spelling errors are a fair criticism, especially if it’s a professional template. But a lot of these roles are filled by younger or less-experienced staff. You ask, “would I be viewing a flat at this price if I could afford more?”
‘But yes, people often do. Some are downsizing, relocating, or going through breakups, they might have savings or sale proceeds and want to rent short-term rather than buy.
‘As for the request to “offer more if possible” that’s not a demand. If it’s not possible, don’t. But if someone else can and does, at least you know why they got it. Even the “good luck” sign-off, I think that’s just human.
‘There might be several viewings lined up. Would you rather they wrote “regards” instead? I know plenty of renters who complain when they lose out and say, “I would’ve offered more if I’d known” but this agent’s giving you that chance in advance?’
The Renters’ Rights Bill is expected to come into effect from Autumn 2025.
The bill proposes significant changes to the private rented sector in England, aiming to improve security and fairness for tenants.
Key changes include ending ‘no-fault’ evictions (Section 21), strengthening tenants’ rights, and improving property standards.
The bill also seeks to ban rental bidding wars, introduce a landlord ombudsman, and create a private rented sector database.
